Pages

Friday, October 5, 2018

I Stream, You Stream Vol. 94

by Patrick Bromley

In case you don't have enough scary movies to already watch this weekend, here are some more.

Satan's Slaves (2018, dir. Joko Anwar) This Indonesian horror film about a family that realizes they carry a curse after their mother passes away is making its premiere on Shudder -- who, it should be said, continues to completely crush it -- as of this week. I saw it earlier this year as part of Chicago's Cinepocalypse festival and found it to be a very good example of this kind of movie, which constantly builds dread and releases it with a jump scare. I know that formula gets tiresome for a lot of horror fans -- I have to admit it's not really my thing either -- but it's hard to deny its effectiveness when it's done well. If you're someone who's readily scared, watch this one with the lights off and the sound turned way up. (Watch on Shudder)

The Boy (2016, dir. William Brent Bell) I will proudly be the person who continues to champion this movie, unfairly lumped in with all of the other second-tier studio horror of the last few years (movies like The Other Side of the Door and The Forest and Slender Man). I really like it. Lauren Cohan is terrific as a woman hired to take care of a wealthy couple's "son," which turns out to be a creepy doll who may or may not actually be alive. There's a lot of good gothic atmosphere, gorgeous photography courtesy of Daniel Pearl, some crazy twists, and really good performances from actors who completely commit to the story. I'm not sure what more someone might want from a movie like this. (Watch on Netflix)

The Hills Run Red (2009, dir. Dave Parker) Former podcast guest Dave Parker directs a mean, nasty slasher from a script by David J. Schow. A young man is obsessed with tracking down a lost horror film said to be the scariest movie ever made and its director (William Sadler), who hasn't been seen or heard from in years. I'm a sucker for this kind of story, be it John Carpenter's Masters of Horror episode "Cigarette Burns" or Marisha Pessl's novel Night Film, and the character of Babyface could have been a new slasher icon with a sequel or two. This was a Dark Castle production but released through Warner Premiere, the studio's straight-to-DVD line, which is a shame because it deserved a theatrical release and a bigger fan base than it has, though that seems to be growing over time. It may be one of the most underrated horror movies of the last 10 years. (Watch free with ads on Vudu)

Aenigma (1988, dir. Lucio Fulci) An awkward college student becomes the victim of a prank that puts her in a coma, so her spirit possesses the body of a new girl who comes to exact revenge on her tormentors. Is it good? Not in the traditional sense. Is it crazy? Of course! It's Fulci. The plot is simple enough to be a series of set pieces, with Fulci clearly having fun staging one bizarre and grisly death after another (my favorite is death by snails). If you haven't seen many Fulci movies, this isn't where I would start with his work. If you're a fan, though, this is definitely worth your time. It's fun. (Watch on Amazon Prime Video)

The Boy is really good. Personally I find doll movies to be creepy as hell. I understand why some people might not like this one, but that specific thing isn't something that bothers me much enjoyment wise with movies.

Another very good one is The Doll Master (2004) which is Korean and doesn't seem to be streaming anywhere. (Thanks for nothing?).

I'm going to work through the Child's Play/Chucky franchise this October, but I might have to squeeze in a rewatch of The Boy.